21 comments

It is amazing the comments that are left on here… some so sensible and others so idiotic. Next someone is going to be askin for a shark cull. The ocean is the sharks territory just like the land is ours. if we go into it we know there are risks. Things like spotters help mitigate that risk – and i really respect and appreciate the work they do – but in the end we go in the ocean of our own free will and are responsible for what happens to us. It is not the sharks fault any more than it is a cows fault when it ends up on our dinner table.

I can only hope that before the fools make knee jerk comments they research a little. imagine a world where people thought before speaking.

? safe beach – will have to go to KZN for that one. And the west coast beaches are too flippen cold. I agree shark spotters are eco – friendly but aren't we taking it too far when human life gets involved? And shark cage diving will only attract more sharks.

Please don't advocate Shark cage diving on this site – you can see first hand the dangerous association with man being food it creates in the minds of these awesum creatures. Secondly – Shark spotters…Guys do you blame the traffic department for all the drunken drivers on our roads that kill innocent people? They do their best to stop it but ultimately – PEOPLE DONT LISTEN! What more can you do than warn, maybe we should fine pple too for not listening. Ultimately – If you going to swim in such a dangerous place you gotta be personally responsible for your own safety. Surfers, swimmers, divers and kayakers – All of us need to take responsibilty for our own actions. We can't blame anyone. Go swim at a safe beach if you don't wanna get eaten!

Sharks are amazing and dangerous animal. I did a shark cage diving and it was great to see one so close and with protection. Unfortunately, as soon as we enter the water, we enter their territory and we have to accept that an attack can happen at anytime. The sharkspotters are here to watch them coming but they cannot stop an attack if the shark already chose a target.What happened to this person is very sad but we cannot changed it now but we have to improve research to better understand them and protect us from them and protect them from hunters.

Sad how so many of us seek to find blame when tragedy strikes. And in the case of a shark attack, the almost primeval horror that we all feel seems to push reason out of our minds. While I have deep sympathy for Lloyd Skinner and his family, the reality is that we can not `insure’ ourselves against life. Anyone who wants a `safety warranty‘ needs to move to a nanny state where all the wild creatures have been exterminated. But by accepting that we share the planet with the diversity of nature, we enjoy the richness this adds to our lives, but need to accept the associated risks. I believe that the Shark Spotters significantly reduce the risks to swimmers and surfers. But given the weather and poor visibility on the day, I don't believe that they could have prevented the tragedy. And judging by the numerous sightings of sharks inshore at this time of the year, we are not preferred prey. So what was different on Tuesday? We may never know! No doubt the authorities will learn what can be learnt from this tragic event and will seek to improve the risk assessment and risk management. But the onus should always be with us as individuals to accept the consequences and the privileges of living with other wild creatures. I am going to carry on kayaking -the immense pleasure of being at sea far outweighs the low risk.

I am part of the False bay Kayaking community centered in Simonstown. We Kayak, as to the Fish Hoek Surfskiers, almost exclusively in the general area between Miller Point and Kalk Bay. As such we interact regularly with all the natural residents of the bay.Those of us who use False Bay, or any part of the ocean regularly, including (particularly surfers and divers) are sensitive to and aware of the pleasures and dangers which it presents. All too often my real sense is that the casual Saturday swimmer is cut – off and distanced from what goes on beyond the foam. Without wanting to sound arrogant we need to develop a connection with the environment – that connection breeds both respect, tolerance and understanding in what is otherwise an alien environment. When it is experienced as alien there can be only a limited understanding and any experience is filtered through the only environment of which we have experience – land. My earnest hope is that more of us will take the step, in whatever way, to begin to experience the ocean holistically as more than just a pretty sight or a place to cool off on a Saturday morning.

Please in future update your website immediately if there has been a shark attack. The attack happened yesterday afternoon and the website was only updated with the news late last night. Meanwhile, rumours were flying (e.g. like the attack having happened only 15m from the restaurant and a dinosaur-like shark the size of a mini-bus being involved). There was nowhere to get official information from. By now, you should also have posted an update on the situation.

Shark spotters are doing the best they can with limited resources and I am very gratefull for the work they have done.

The person who asked about the 'mermaids purse' clearly does not do their research before complaining as it is general knowledge that large species of shark give live birth. Next time think before you talk..

Does the idiot who wrote "so much for shark spotting" really believe that spotting a shark will prevent an attack. These people are rendering a service to the general public and attempt to warn of the potential for attacks. Come on, how much intelligence does it take?

Always going to be someone blaming somebody else! The shark spotters do a great job and as has been said they have probably saved numerous lives in the past. You sit on the beach and try and spot a shark!

The mermaids purse issue- as far as I know the sharks that are going to attack man don't lay eggs (mermaids purses) they give birth to live young so seeing one will most likely mean there is shy-sharks or rays in the area.

To the idiot who has to leave sarcastic comments at a time like this – the shark spotters are doing as much as they can. The effectiveness of the system relies on the public taking heed of their warnings. It's a pity there's no way of knowing how many lives have been SAVED by the fantastic work that they do!

A few days prior to the last shark attack in Fish Hoek a few years ago my brother-in-law was diving and saw a large mermaid's purse in the rocks very close to where the attack took place.

Yesterdays attack took place in more a less the same area. Is there not an institute that could investigate if there isnt currently also a mermaids purse in the rocks to see if this is not why the shark is attacking?